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08 March 2014

Daylight Saving Time (DST) always brings up emotions among people. For some it is happiness (if in March) knowing Spring is just ahead and sadness (if in Oct/Nov) if you don't enjoy winter. While in some it brings some confusion as to whether the time is to be added or subtracted.

This confusion is responsible for delays, oversleeping or just plain excuse for missing morning appointments.

Well, there is one sure and easy way to remember when the time moves ahead and when time is slowed by an hour. Next time you need to know, just remember "Spring Forward and Fall Back". Move the clock ahead by one hour in Spring (March DST) while move it back one hour in Fall (Nov DST in North America).

Remember, tomorrow March 9th 2014 is when you move your clock one hour forward.

26 January 2013

theFundooGeek! wishing from USA :

India celebrates her Republic Day every January 26th to commemorate the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect in 1950. Traditionally, since 1950 every year leaders from different countries are chosen and invited as the State Guest of Honor at the Republic Day Parade in Delhi. This year the honor goes to Bhutan's king - Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

Today India celebrates the 64th anniversary of Republic Day. Like every year, Police and other paramilitary forces turned Delhi into a a virtual fortress for the Republic Day celebrations. Helicopters scanned from air, snipers kept a hawk-eye vigil from rooftops and armed personnel at every nook and corner provided a ground-to-air security apparatus.

Annually, the Republic Day in India is celebrated with much passion in the entire country and also by Indians abroad. As part of the federal celebrations, an impressive parade is held in New Delhi from Raisina Hill next to Rashtrapati Bhavan (the President’s House), beside the Rajpath, before India entrance and on to the notable Red Fort. The parade starts with the India’s President laying a headdress at the Indian Gate at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, honoring all the brave soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation.

A twenty one gun salute is tendered, the National Anthem is played and the President unfurls the National Flag. This indicates the opening of the parade. The President of India, who is also the Indian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, takes the salutation at the impressive parade.

On Republic Day, martyrs and heroes who showed courage and bravery for country's sake without bothering their own lives are also remembered and conferred prestigious and significant awards including Kirti Chakra and Ashok Chakra are conferred on the event by the President.

The country's rich cultural heritage and military prowess were on display at the 64th Republic Day parade on Saturday on the 8-km stretch from Rajpath to Red Fort. An eager audience on both sides of the imposing Rajpath braved the winter chill and cheered loudly as the parade went past them portraying the rich and diverse culture of the country.

The spectacle began with four army helicopters flying above Rajpath carrying the national flag and the three flags of the Army, Navy and Air Force. Among the country's military might on display was the 5800 km ballistic Agni-V missile mounted on a road mobile launcher which was paraded by the Defence Research & Development Organization as the crowd lapped it up with loud cheer. The country showed its military strength with the MBT Arjun Tank, Armored Ambulance Tracked Vehicle, BrahMos missiles and 214 mm Pinaka rockets, 15 Meter Sarvatra Bridging System.

A mini version of INS Vikramaditya which will join the Naval fleet by the end of this year was also part of the parade which highlighted Indian Navy's blue water operating capability. The DRDO displayed the Armored Amphibious Dozer (AAD), an indigenously developed versatile Combat Engineer support equipment with excellent earth moving and amphibious capabilities in varied terrain. Airborne Early Warning and Control System and Naval Sonar were also displayed.

All the different wings of the armed forces, paramilitary, border security and police forces marched to the pride of the nation.

The states and different government departments also put up an impressive show when they showcased their rich cultural diversity in full display in 19 tableaux - 14 from states and five from ministries.

Another highlight of the show is the breathtaking dare-devil motorcycle performance by Army Service Corps' team Tornadoes.

The grand finale of the parade is always the spectacular fly-past by the IAF where the world's 4th largest air force thrills the crowd with some breath-taking formations and maneuvers.

This year Google commemorated India's 64th Republic Day with a doodle featuring a collage of our national symbols. The doodle features India's national animal, the Royal Bengal Tiger, and its national flower, the lotus. The Google logo appears as the tiger's stripes.

06 January 2013

Author: Shiamak HK

Creeeak! I opened the mysterious door at the edge of the play ground. My friends had dared me to go in. As I opened it, a hot white light flashed before me and poured onto me. Covering my eyes, I stepped in. When I came out, I was in a ruined castle.

Boom! Pow! Thud! Startled by the noise, I turned just in time to see the door shut. I pounded on the door, but it wouldn't budge. I was trapped! I started to wander the ruined castle, and admired - I must admit. Black four eyed spiders spun sticky, silky webs everywhere. Red, gooey liquid was oozing down a wall. The whole place had a creepy, eerie feeling.

After walking around a fallen wall, I saw a hot, blazing bonfire. It lit up the dark like car lights. I started walking toward the fire, calling for help. Suddenly, I froze. Every muscle in my body still, staring in complete horror at he bony creatures - skeletons.

Snap! I accidently stepped on a twig. As the skeletons turned I met their eyes - wait, they didn't have eyes! Instead of eyes they had a bright orange flame that danced in the eye socket.

One of the skeletons drew a sword dripping in red liquid - blood, I guessed. I dashed away as fast as my legs could carry me ... running as fast as the wind ... I'm sure I beat the world record in 100 meter sprint. I stopped when I reached a dark part of the castle. Well yeah, everything was dark but this was darker. A flash of lightening lit up the corridor for just enough time for my eyes to see bones everywhere. I felt myself shivering. It felt like the room dropped by 50 degrees. Then an idea hit me!

What if the door had returned? I asked out loud. I didn't waste a second. Running like a cheetah I reached the spot where I first entered the castle. The door was there! My heart was pounding. As I started to walk towards it, I heard a snap!. Somebody stepped on a twig. I turned in time to see a bony hand reach out and grasp my neck. The skeleton started to lift me up. I choked and struggled to breathe air. Then, when I saw the skeleton's flamed eye, I froze in horror as the air slipped slowly out of my lungs.

That's when I woke up in bed gasping for air. Quickly I darted out of bed like a torpedo. "I'm alive!" I screamed, "I'm alive!". My mom came in.

"What's going on dear?", she asked. "Nothing." I answered with a grin. "Nothing really!"

The above is the work of one of our avid readers, Shiamak HK. Shiamak is 10 years. He has contributed some great essays - check the links in the recommended reading.

Author: Shiamak HK

Stomp! Stomp! We quietly hike through an African Plains. Suddenly, my dad stops me. "Get down." he whispered. I did as he asked. The tall, African grass was soaked with morning dew. We slowly crawled behind a hill. My dad points a sturdy finder at a shaking clump of bushes. Using my binoculars, I see it is a cheetah. Me and dad's search expedition in Africa just started!

The cheetah smoothly slips out of the bushes. The beaten and burned fur allows it to blend into the grass. Even from 50 yards away I smell its singed fur. The cheetah hungrily looks at a herd of gazelles. He creeps up on the nearest one. Swift as a falcon, he pounces next to the gazelle. "Nehhhh!", the gazelle makes a startled sound. They all take off, but the cheetah is too fast.

Using his strong hind legs, the cheetah makes a great leap and grasps the poor gazelle's neck; hauling it to the grassy ground. "Nehhhh!", the gazelle lets out it's last cry of pain. It is over. The cheetah drags the prey back to the safety of the bushes. Suddenly the cheetah disappeared. Everything is quite. My dad pulls me up and we start home.

As we walked back, no birds chirped. It was like everyone was saying a prayer for the gazelle. Even my dad and I. But, there is nothing we can do. After all, the cheetah needs to hunt for food. Home was a mile away, so we decided to just walk thinking about the hunt.Stomp! Stomp!

The above is the work of one of our avid readers, Shiamak HK. Shiamak is 10 years.

05 January 2013

Here's some food for thought - what if Technology companies made our everyday kitchen toasters? Got you thinking, didn't we? Relax and read on ...

If Apple made toasters ...

It would do everything the Microsoft toaster does, but 5 years earlier.

If Costco made toasters ...

They'd be really cheap, as long as you bought a six-pack of 'em.

If Cray made toasters ...

They would cost $16 million but would be faster than any other single-slice toaster in the world.

If Fisher Price made toasters ...

"Baby's First Toaster" would have a hand-crank that you turn to toast the bread that pops up like a Jack-in-the-box.

If Franklin Mint made toasters ...

Every month you would receive another lovely hand-crafted piece of your authentic Civil War pewter toaster.

If Google made toasters ...

It would serve all Google software products and services free of charge. Apple, of course would not like any of it and declare a thermonuclear war.

If Hewlett-Packard made toasters ...

They would market the Reverse Toaster, which takes in toast and gives you regular bread.

If IBM made toasters ...

They would want one big toaster where people bring bread to be submitted for overnight toasting. IBM would claim a worldwide market for five, maybe six toasters.

If Intel made toasters...

-- but I repeat myself. Best to use dual processors so it is done on both sides. ~James Little

If Microsoft made toasters ...

Every time you bought a loaf of bread, you would have to buy a toaster. You wouldn't have to take the toaster, but you'd still have to pay for it anyway. Toaster'95 would weigh 15000 pounds (hence requiring a reinforced steel countertop), draw enough electricity to power a small city, take up 95% of the space in your kitchen, would claim to be the first toaster that lets you control how light or dark you want your toast to be, and would secretly interrogate your other appliances to find out who made them. Everyone would hate Microsoft toasters, but nonetheless would buy them since most of the good bread only works with their toasters.

If NeXT made toasters...

They would be the most beautifully designed toasters in the world. Unfortunately, there would be no way to get the bread inside. Ultimately, Next would stop selling toasters and decide instead to make bread that could be used in other toasters. ~Robert Klothe

If the NSA made toasters ...

Your toaster would have a secret trap door that only the NSA could access in case they needed to get at your toast for reasons of national security.

If Oracle made toasters ...

They'd claim their toaster was compatible with all brands and styles of bread, but when you got it home you'd discover the Bagel Engine was still in development, the Croissant Extension was three years away, and that indeed the whole appliance was just blowing smoke.

If Sun made toasters ...

The toast would burn often, but you could get a really good cuppa Java.

If Radio Shack made toasters ...

The staff would sell you a toaster, but not know anything about it. Or you could buy all the parts to build your own toaster.

If Rand Corporation made toasters...

It would be a large, perfectly smooth and seamless black cube. Every morning there would be a piece of toast on top of it. Their service department would have an unlisted phone number, and the blueprints for the box would be highly classified government documents. The X-Files would have an episode about it.

If SAP made toasters ...

The manual to run the toaster would be approximately 10,000 pages long. The toaster would come with 2,500 switches which would all have to be set in an exact pattern and in a precise sequence in order to toast specific kinds of bread. Each pattern would be established by SAP's experts as the "Best Practices" method of toasting that kind of bread. It would take a team of basis and functional contractors about 1 year to configure the toaster in the best manner, and then another 6 months to test it. In the mean time, your entire family would need to attend extensive training classes on how to use the new toaster. In order to support end users and consultants, MIT would establish a list-serv for people to post questions and answers regarding toaster set-up and operation. Of course, the online help would randomly pop up in German. But once it was running, you'd get the best toast in the world.

If Samsung made toasters ...

They would be a replica of the iToaster model developed by Apple. Apple will file lawsuit claiming patent infringement. The judge would throw our the lawsuit claiming the Samsung model was not as hot as iToaster.

If Sony made toasters ...

The ToastMan, which would be barely larger than the single piece of bread it is meant to toast, can be conveniently attached to your belt.

If Tandem made toasters ...

You could make toast 24 hours a day, and if a piece got burned the toaster would automatically toast you a new one.

If Thinking Machines made toasters ...

You would be able to toast 64,000 pieces of bread at the same time.

If Timex made toasters ...

They would be cheap and small quartz-crystal wrist toasters that take a licking and keep on toasting.

If University of Waterloo made toasters...

They would immediately spin-off a company called WatToast.

If Wang made toasters...

Marketing would never agree upon what customers really want or need in a toaster so millions of dollars would be spent in development and their toaster would be several years late. Just after release Wang would buy another company whose toasters ran on NT but would find that they got more orders for the original.

If Xerox made toasters ...

You could toast one-sided or double-sided. Successive slices would get lighter and lighter. The toaster would jam your bread for you.

It is sad that some of the above companies don't exist today ... I would have loved to see how they compete to build and market wireless toasters. I bet there would be apps that would do amazing tasks such as - start toasting the moment you step in kitchen every morning; replenish your stock; advice you if you should have darker toast or lighter depending upon your mood; prepare special celebrity toasts on weekends; order Genie the robot to bring the toast to your bed as soon as you awake.

Disclaimer: Don't know the origin or who owns the copyright ... but hey! good for a smile!!!

30 December 2012

As we reported earlier, there is a change of guard at the Tata Group of Companies. The iconic corporate leader, retired as Chairman of Tata Group after a 50-year run on Friday, December 28th. Ratan Tata hung up his boots and Cyrus Mistry took the reins of India's best known global brand today.

Ratan Tata, who helmed the group for 21 years after being chosen successor by his uncle, the iconic JRD Tata, in 1991, is credited with transforming the group through bold decisions including large global acquisitions, even as some of its peers struggled to stay relevant post economic liberalization.

In his farewell letter, the best CEO of India Inc told the employees to live by the "value systems and ethical standards on which our group was founded". He asked his colleagues to show their "support", "commitment" and "dedication" to achieve success in these somewhat difficult times.

Below is the full text of the letter -

Dear Colleague,

As 2012 comes to an end, let me wish you and your family all the best for the New Year. I hope that 2013 and the future years bring you good health, peace of mind and great happiness.

This is also the last time that I write to you prior to my retirement as the Chairman of the Tata Group and I want to convey to you how privileged I have been to have had the opportunity of leading this great Group over the last two decades through good times and bad.

Whatever has been achieved has only been possible because of the amazing spirit, the dedication of each one of you and the enormous support and faith reposed in me, for which I am deeply grateful and appreciative. I feel immensely proud of the manner in which the employees and the companies have come together in facing crises from time to time.

These have included adverse market conditions, natural calamities like earthquakes and tsunamis and gruesome acts of terrorism.

The memories of personal sacrifices, loyalty and individual acts of heroism will always remain in my memory, to reinforce the great sense of pride I have in having been a member of this team. We today are a $100 billion Group in revenues. Over the past 20 years our revenues have grown about 20 times and today 58% come from overseas operations. Our brand has emerged as the 45th global and the number one Indian brand.

Our products and services are present in 85 countries. We therefore have every reason to feel proud and feel confident in facing the challenges ahead. The difficult economic environment that we face in the current year will most likely continue through most of the next year.

We will probably see continued constraints in consumer demand, over-capacity and increased competition from imports. There will therefore be great pressure on our companies to reinvent themselves in terms of business processes and to dramatically reduce costs, to be more aggressive in the market place and to widen our product range to better address consumer needs.

We will also need to contain our borrowings and work hard to retain our margins. This environment would once again call on you for your support, your commitment and your dedication to achieve success in these somewhat difficult times.This seemingly gloomy picture however will be a passing phase.

I feel confident that the robust growth that India has shown over the past several years will be re-established and the strong fundamentals in the country will result in India once again taking its place as one of the economic success stories of the region.

The Tata Group will undoubtedly play an important role in the continued development of our country, providing leadership in various industrial segments in which they operate and living by the value systems and ethical standards on which our Group was founded. The future growth of the Group will be led in thecomingn

g years by Cyrus Mistry. I am sure that he will receive from you the same support, the same commitment and the same understanding that I have enjoyed over the years. Tatas are a Group where I feel proud to have belonged and proud to have been associated through the years. I wish the Group, Cyrus Mistry and each of you great success in the years ahead. I hope the Group grows and shines in the coming years.